News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-22
FROM WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. c., !
Dec. IS. 1887.

Tory mas mauS at TdpIu iato'
narrate its events and those leading
up to them, and to point out their far
reaching consequences, will require
volume of print from the historian OF
fifty years hence.
On Monday of last week the United
States Supreme Court, in the decis-
ion of the Virginia coupon bond cases,
notified the politicians, North and
South, that the war Interpretation of
the Constitution had ceased, and that
for the highest court of the country,
at least, the war Of the rebellion had
come to an end. The effect of this
decision, coming from eight northern
Judges, only one of whom is a Demo
crat, destroys vast store Of political
ammunition hitherto used by the par
ties that have divided the country
since 1860.
The decision of the same court in
the distillery cases from Kansas firm
" fixes the prohibition party in the
political field until its mission is &C
complished or until it fails in its pur-
pose. 1t is henceforth a healthy po-
litical organization. Had the decls-
ion been against the validity of the
prohibition legislation of Kansas 1t
would have been evident to the stu
pici est voter that to seek for prohibi-
ton was to seek the unattainable.
Some surprise is manifested at the
action of Senator Blair in selecting one
of the choicest seats on the Demo-
cratic side of the Senate chamber.
When the Senate was composed al
most entirely of Republicans it was
necessary to give the members of that
party seats on both sides of the main
aisle but when the division of mem
bers between the two parties grew TO
be something like equal, the center
aisle became the dividing line, politi-
cally, the Republicans occupying the
seats on the east and the Democrats
on the west side. This division is
simply q custom, and of course there
is no rule to confine Senators to one
side or the other but it is custom
that has generally been observed when
there has not been too great a numer-
ical preponderance of one party to
make it practicable. The seat selec-
ted by Senator Blair is next to the
center aisle IN the rear row, and al
most directly in front of the Vice
Presidents desk hence it is one of
the choicest in the chamber and no
doubt there are Democratic Senators
who would be glad to have it. Sena-
tor Blair found it out Of the question
to procure an eligible seat on the Re-
publican side, so he crossed the aisle.
In the last Congress he had seat
way round at the end of one of the
rows next to the lobby, and he said
that he could rarely ever catch the
eye of the presiding officer when he
wanted recognition. The chief rea-
son for taking the Democratic seat is
that it will place him right in front of
the presiding officer aud enable him
to obtain recognition
The west wing of the new State,
War and Navy Department building
is now receiving the finishing touches,
and on the first of next year one OF
the largest buildings in the country
will have been completed. The gran
tie exterior of the west wing has had
its last polish applied, and the interi,
or is filled with a small army of me-
chanics busily engaged to complete
the numerous details. Under the in
telligent and watchful direction o
Col. T. L. Casey and his assistan
Mr.. B. Green, vast improvement!
have been introduced in almost ever,
branch of architecture and civil engi
neering, and which will Cd far to max
this wing a model for all future gov
ernmental buildings of large extent
One of the most interesting boys il
Washington is Cunling Isl, the thir
teen-year-old son of one of the Secre
taries of the Chinese legation. Th
little fellow, whose scarlet buttons t,
his cap proclaim him Mandarin o
the Celestial Empire, attends schoo
on Fourteenth street, where his seem
ingly inexhaustible fund of good ma
ture is called into constant requisitior
for he is subject to a good deal O
teasing by the other boys. At moor
the little Chanaman may frequently bt
seen on the street in front of The
school, taking part in the games OF
looking on quietly from the doorway
which latter he greatly prefers, as
otherwise he is apt to undergo pretty
rough handling from his tormentors.
Occasionally, however, the tables are
turned and the spunky little fellow
will watch his opportunity to retail
ate, making novel weapon of de-
| fence Of his queue, to the end of which
is braided in heavy silk tassel, which
with a sudden adroit move, he will
make to do duty as lash, and ther
throw back his head and laugh. Gun.
ling Isl is a bright little fellow, {
faithful student and very ambitious tc
attain high standing in his classes.
LENox.
| DEATH OF Col. MEAD.-Col. John B
Mead, well-knOwn throughout Vermont
died at Randolph last Friday morning
He had been in poor health long time
suffering from malaria contracted at the
New Orleans exposition. John B. Mead
was born at Stratham, n. H., March Is
1881. He removed to Randolph in 1841
| was educated at the Orange county gram